(Kate Frese/SB Nation)
Just when it looks like the Flyers have been putting together some momentum for a playoff run, they find themselves in the midst of a drastic setback.
Brian Elliott, their go-to between the pipes for the better part of the season, is out for five-to-six weeks after undergoing successful core muscle surgery. Elliott's been dealing with some injury woes this season, and with the Flyers currently occupying the third playoff spot in the Metro Division, it's a tough blow.
Sure, it's more adversity for the Flyers to deal with this season, in a campaign which has seen them deal with plenty of it. But as rough as it is, it's something they'll be able to work through.
The obvious solution, of course, is to ride the tandem of Michal Neuvirth and Alex Lyon, though the former has had his share of inconsistencies this season. Regardless, the organization is still confident he can put it together, as demonstrated by his two-year contract extension last season.
When Elliott went down with The Big One in the Flyers' shootout against the Coyotes, Neuvirth was quickly pressed into duty. Without nary a chance to warm up or prepare — certainly a unique situation — he did not allow a single goal the rest of the way, and helped backstop the Flyers to the 4-3 win. A microscopic sample size, sure, but the kind of composure an organization wants to see.
Of course, from there, Neuvirth's going to need some backup. Alex Lyon has made three appearances this season, and has had the exact growing pains you would expect from a rookie netminder. As we've seen before when a goaltender goes down, Dave Hakstol is typically reticent to go with the younger backup unless absolutely necessary (see also: Stolarz, Anthony), so if the Flyers do go business as usual with this tandem, expect to see the No. 30 a lot more between the pipes.
There also exists the possibility, though, of bringing up Dustin Tokarski from Lehigh Valley and sending Lyon back down to earn some more starts at the American League level. Tokarski, the 28-year-old acquired from Anaheim earlier in the season, does bring some NHL experience with him, though he hasn't logged a game since Oct. 28, 2016. Coming from Montreal and the Ducks, where their goaltending wagons are hitched to Carey Price and John Gibson, respectively, for the foreseeable future, it's easy to see why Tokarski never got that chance to regularly crack an NHL roster.
Tokarski, though, would need to clear waivers to come up to the Flyers, and again when Elliott is healthy. Though he staved off being claimed back in October when the Ducks put him on, a repeat possibility isn't guaranteed. Having that NHL preparedness on the bench is helpful, but it could come at a significant premium with waivers involved.
The most intriguing possibility is a trade. The always-buzzing rumor mill is speculating that there's been traction between the Flyers and Buffalo, with the Flyers keeping an eye on Chad Johnson and/or Robin Lehner. With the Sabres firmly in last place in the East, a trade deadline sell-off is exactly what they need to reconfigure a rebuild under first-year GM Jason Botterill. Johnson's an easy link to the Orange and Black, as Ron Hextall selected him for Team Canada in last year's IIHF World Championship.
Brian Elliott will miss 5-6 weeks after core muscle surgery. Related: Flyers and Sabres are rumored to be talking trade. With this news, might have to think Robin Lehner or Chad Johnson are on Flyers' radar
— Flyerdelphia (@Flyerdelphia) February 13, 2018
Hextall established, though, that trading a goaltender is not on the team's radar.
"Well, the deadline is two weeks away," Hextall told reporters on Tuesday. "I guess things can change between now and then, but we like our team, we like what we've done. In saying that, we've got to keep going here, we've got to keep pushing."
So much can happen in two weeks that the Flyers may very well be looking for a trade partner, even if it isn't what they want right now. And as intriguing as a trade does sound, once Elliott makes his return, the Flyers will face quite a logjam on their hands.
Assuming the five-six week timetable holds up, Elliott would be able to return on March 20 against Detroit, March 22 vs. the NY Rangers, March 25 against Pittsburgh, March 27 against Colorado or March 28 against Dallas — roughly two weeks before the end of the regular season. If the Flyers are still holding a playoff spot by then, he'll be primed, rested and ready to go for a playoff run, when solid netminding can make all the difference.
So, for now, expect to see Neuvirth getting the bulk of the starts, with Lyon backing up (possibly stealing the occasional start on a back-to-back, or entering in mop-up duty). That's the ideal circumstance for the Flyers, and how they plan to make the best of it. Other possibilities remain intriguing, and can't be ruled out just yet
No injury is ever an ideal circumstance, especially to a key position for a club holding down a playoff spot. It's by no means the position the Orange and Black want to be in, though it's something they'll be able to mitigate.
